A Lancashire family is facing immense grief and devastation as they mourn the loss of a two-month-old baby boy, just two months after the passing of his mother.
Tragically, Dexter Khan-Barnes passed away in his sleep at his home in Rishton, near Accrington, in July 2022. During the inquest held at Blackburn Town Hall on June 7, it was revealed that no specific cause of death could be determined, as reported by Lancs Live.
Dexter was born prematurely via an emergency cesarean section following a severe blood clot suffered by his mother, Laura Barnes. According to Laura’s mother, Jennifer Barnes, Laura had experienced a stroke a few months prior to giving birth.
Little Dexter spent approximately six weeks in the neonatal unit before being discharged from the hospital with his father, Shane Khan. Just one day before his untimely death, a nurse had conducted a health check at their home and found Dexter to be in good condition. On the night of his passing, Mr. Khan had taken him upstairs to bed along with his 14-month-old brother, ensuring they had bottles of milk ready for when they woke up.
Coroner Richard Taylor revealed that Mr. Khan had laid next to Dexter around 4 am, only to awaken an hour and a half later and notice abnormalities in the baby’s arm movement, as well as floppiness and discoloration in his eyes.
Immediately, Dexter was rushed to Royal Blackburn Hospital by ambulance, but tragically, he was pronounced dead. A post-mortem examination failed to determine the cause of death and found no evidence of preexisting illness or injury that could have contributed to the tragedy.
During the inquest, Mrs. Barnes stated that concerns had previously been raised within the family regarding the risks of co-sleeping.
Summarizing the post-mortem evidence, Mr. Taylor explained, “Given the circumstances, it is not possible to entirely rule out accidental air obstruction as a possible cause or contribution to Dexter’s death. Therefore, the cause of death remains undetermined.”
Concluding the inquest, he stated, “Dexter Khan-Barnes passed away on July 30, 2022, at Royal Blackburn Hospital after being found unresponsive in the bed he shared with his brother.”
